Captain Blood – 1935
This was a good movie, and as far as my research tells me, a pretty important one as well. This was apparently the film that revived the swashbuckling genre in Hollywood. It was also the film that really launched the careers of two Hollywood superstars, Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. It had a somewhat engaging plot, plenty of action, and a romance that took enough time to be believable.
Captain Blood was, of course, played by Flynn. He was a doctor who apparently treated the wrong patient, resulting in his arrest and his being sold into slavery. But after years of slavery, he escapes and becomes a pirate in the Caribbean. And I can’t help but think that this film alone was mostly responsible for the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland. There seemed to be several scenes, sets, and even characters that were taken directly from the theme park attraction. The trick though, is that the movie came out first, 33 years earlier. In my research, I could find no official connection between the two, but some of the similarities are pretty obvious to me. At the very least, Disney had to have been inspired by the film.
Flynn was, at that time, an unknown actor, and so the executives at Warner Brothers were taking a big risk in casting him. For that matter, de Havilland had only done 4 films before this one, so she was a bit of a risk as well. But it really paid off. The two had a wonderful on-screen chemistry. They were both young and attractive and did a great job of lighting up the screen.
The action sequences were very well done and exciting to watch. The ship battles were huge and complex. There were plenty of extras, guns and cannons firing, dangerous explosions and thrilling music. But in doing my research, I discovered something that I found a little disappointing. There were several shots in some of the battle sequences that were recycled! They actually re-used several shots from The Sea Hawk, a silent film from 1924. Doesn’t that seem a bit like cheating?
Other notable actors were in the film as well. Guy Kibbee played one of Blood’s pirates and Ross Alexander another. They both acted their parts well. Basil Rathbone played the part of Levasseur, a rival pirate. The sword fight scene was fun and well-choreographed. Apparently it was filmed in Laguna Beach, California, whereas nearly everything else was filmed on a sound stage.
That brings me to something else I didn’t particularly care for: the backdrops. They were very obviously painted. They really stood out in a film in which there was a special attention given to details. The stationary painted clouds looked almost cartoony next to the actors. For me it was distracting.
The plot was a good one that I will go over briefly. Wrongly arrested and persecuted by British officials under King James II, Dr. Blood, Flynn, is sold into slavery and sent to Jamaica. While there he is bought by the British Governor’s niece, Arabella, played by de Havilland. Hey share a love-hate relationship, but the love eventually proves stronger. Despite this, Blood plans his escape. The town is attacked by Spanish pirates and he leads his fellow slaves on a raid to capture the Spanish ship.
He then turns to piracy and becomes rich, plundering any ship he can find. During the course of his adventures, he finds that Arabella has been abducted by a rival pirate band under the leadership of Levasseur. Blood wins custody of her in a thrilling swordfight. While taking her back to Jamaica, he learns that a new King has been established in England. He and his crew have been pardoned and he is now free to love his Arabella.
The plot is not terribly complex, but it kept my interest, mostly because of the lead actors. Flynn’s energetic performance was what really drove the movie forward and made it more than just a mindless action film. The director, Michael Curtiz gave the movie its action. The wonderful score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold gave it its epic grandeur. Rathbone gave the film it its danger. Flynn gave it its passion and de Havilland gave it its romance. It all combined beautifully to make a great swashbuckling film.